The advertisement below appeared in The Indian Express on February 1, 2016. The task of covering this book launch was conferred upon me. I joined Newslaundry as an intern hoping to get a break as a journalist. This was the break I wanted. I headed straight to the Sahara India Complex, Noida.

“A good human being is always truthful.” – Saharasri

After months of reflection in Tihar jail, Subrata Roy Sahara has penned a philosophical book titled Life Mantras. Published by Rupa, it is the first in a trilogy – the other two books are expected to follow soon. Jail offers plenty of thinking time and incarceration has led to many books that have enriched us down the ages. Guess who else wrote a trilogy on experiences of jail? A certain MK Gandhi.  

“It is generally said that one should not trust anyone these days.”- Saharasri

The book was launched On February 1, 2016, which is also Sahara’s 39^th Foundation Day. The chief guests included cricket world cup hero, Kapil Dev; film actor, Raj Babbar; and poet, Gopaldas Neeraj. At around 4 pm, a few hundred grim-faced employees headed to the lawn area of the Sahara India Complex. It was a large, open space with an artificial waterfall and had been austerely readied for the launch with one small stage and lots of chairs. The employees, dressed in their trademark black and white uniforms, were repeatedly referred to as Kartavya Yogi Karyakartas (which roughly translates to duty-bound workers). However, those karyakartas who had hoped to get some clarity about the group’s future, walked away disappointed.

Kapil Dev (left) and group CEO of Sahara Media Upendra Rai (right) releasing ‘Life Mantra’.

“You will be surprised to know that I lead a totally tension free life. Believe me, this state of mind is not hard to achieve.” – Saharasri

As each guest spoke about Subrata Roy’s loyalty and boundless energy, it was clear they were invited to boost employee morale. Kapil Dev, generally known to bat low down the order had probably never batted in this position before. “You have one path”, he told the gathering, “to listen to what your Saharasri says. All those sitting here are loyal, the disloyal ones have left us, they are not people who love us from the heart.”

Bollywood stars are known to arrive late. Raj Babbar arrived after the national anthem was played to signal the end of the event. However, he was given an opportunity to overwhelm the audience and he talked about Saharasri’s hard work during the elections. Subrata Roy is known to be close to the Samajwadi Party (SP), which Raj Babbar was part of, before joining the Indian National Congress (INC). “I have never seen a more generous and hard working person,” he reminisced. “I have gone to places in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh before there were helicopters and we had to travel by car. Despite being elder to me, he always had more energy than I did. He was the only one who could work 48 hours in a 24 hour day.”

“Greed is a disease that always leads to dissatisfactions.” – Saharasri

Roy is in jail because two of his companies, Sahara India Real Estate Corp Ltd (SIRECL) and Sahara Housing Investment Corp Ltd (SHICL), raised Rs 24,000 crore by issuing optionally-fully convertible debentures (OFCDs) from about three crore investors. Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) suspects that some of these investors do not really exist. It was also reported that small investors who deposited sums as low as Rs 10,000, had not been repaid. 

“Giving is entirely in your hands.” – Saharasri

Gopaldas Neeraj chose to recite some poetry, which earned spontaneous applause from the audience. Soon after this, Maninderjeet Singh Bitta, former chief of the Indian Youth Congress, took to the stage and thundered on about Roy’s selfless help to Kargil war widows, which “woke” the government up to their own responsibilities. Meanwhile, people in neighbouring buildings had gathered on their roofs to watch the proceedings. However, they were soon disappointed because the launch party of “Life Mantras” turned out to be a sombre affair. There was no sign of the opulence that previously defined Roy’s life.

Saharasri may be a changed man, but the duty-bound workers at Sahara are left in limbo, still waiting for answers, as are the courts. But for real clarity, they need not look any further than his book.

“There are people who are never sincere about their commitments.” – Saharasri